The 14-day judicial custody of Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty, who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) earlier this month for her alleged involvement in a drugs case linked to Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, will end on Tuesday. She was remanded to 14-day judicial custody after being arrested.
Chakraborty was arrested on September 8 by the agency after three days of questioning over the drug abuse case in connection with the death of actor Rajput on June 14. If found guilty, she faces up to 10 years in jail.
The 28-year-old was arrested on the basis of statements from other accused who have been arrested in connection with the case. She was confronted with her younger brother Showik Chakraborty, Rajput’s house manager Samuel Miranda and his house staff Dipesh Sawant to ascertain their roles in an alleged drug racket.
A special court had denied bail to Chakraborty on September 11, saying if she was released on bail she might alert others and they might destroy evidence. Chakraborty, in her plea, had stated that she was innocent and falsely implicated. She has been booked under several sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, which provides for punishment for financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders.
Chakraborty has been charged under Section 8(c) (produce, manufacture, possess, sell, purchase, transport, warehouse, use, consume, import); 20(b)(ii) (punishment for contravention in relation to the cannabis plant and cannabis where such contravention relates to small quantity, involves quantity lesser than commercial quantity but greater than small quantity, involves commercial quantity); 22 (punishment for contravention in relation to psychotropic substances); 27A (punishment for financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders); 28 (punishment for attempts to commit offences); and 29 (punishment for abetment and criminal conspiracy) of the NDPS act.
Additional sessions judge GB Gurao of the NDPS act court observed that as the investigation was still in the initial phase if the accused is granted bail, she may tamper with the prosecution evidence. “In addition, according to the prosecution, the accused has taken the names of other persons. The investigation in respect of those persons is in process. If the accused is released on bail then she will alert those persons and they will destroy the evidence. There is a possibility of tampering of evidence,” the order had said.
Chakraborty has allegedly named 15 Bollywood celebrities, including those producing and consuming drugs, news agency ANI reported quoting sources. NCB’s investigation also revealed that there is some circle also which procures and supplies drugs to celebrities, it added.
The agency has so far arrested dozens of people, including Chakraborty, her brother Showik, and drug peddlers from Mumbai and Goa.
